Bottle removing apparatus



Feb. 6,1945.

E. ARDELL BO TTLE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1.942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EDGAR 4504541.

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THE/l? ATTORNEYS 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 E. ARDELL BOTTLE REMOVING. APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1942 mmwm Kl L INVENTOR BY 606A A A/Pon L TIM-7R ATTORNEY5 I E. ARDELL BOTTLE REMOVING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-She d s Filed April 22, 1942 INVENTOR E0641? ARDELL Feb. 6, 1945.

Feb. 6 1945. ARDELL 2,368,796

BOTTLE REMOVING APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0541? ARDELL /*M',M, M 7 7375/7? ATTCRNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1945 BOTTLE REMOVING APPARATUS 7 Edgar Ardell, Middletown, Conm, assignor to Standard-Knapp Corporation, Portland, Conn., a corporation of New York Application April 22, 1942, Serial o; 440,012

17 Claims.

This invention relates to'apparatus for detecting and removing over. or under-size round articles, such as bottles, from a continuously advancing line. The general object of the invention is to provide an improved detecting and ej ecting apparatus of this character.-

In beverage plants the bottles to be filled are usually passed through a cleaning apparatus called a soaker and then filled in the filling apparatus. The caps are then applied by the capping machine and the bottles passed through a pasteurizer and a labeling apparatus and then delivered to the packing apparatus. These machines have more or less intricate mechanism and are adapted andadjusted to handle bottles of predetermined size, that is to say, of predetermined diameter and height. Although a certain variation in diameter and height is allowable, the permissible tolerance is not large, particularly in the case of the bottle-filling apparatus, the bottle pockets and bottle-holding fingers of which will be damaged if bottles which are either too large in diameter or too small are sent through the ma chine.

The bottles travel continuously through all of the various apparatus just mentioned, and at a high speed. Consequently the plugging or jamming of any of the machines or the breakage of parts, such as might be caused by bottles of improper size are apt to cause serious delays to production, and, in addition, increase the cost of maintenance and repair.

In the beverage industry most bottles are returnable by the consumer ior refilling and-it is impracticable for the store-keeper to check the size 01 bottles presented to'him to be returned and to refuse to accept those which-are either above or below the tolerance limits as to diameter and height. Consequently, although the great majority of the bottles passing through the soaker may appear to be of substantially the same size, a certain percentage of them is always beyond the veyor without reconstructing or disturbing the conveyor installation.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle-detecting and removing apparatus which is operated solely by the movement imparted to the bottles by the conveyor.

It is also the aim of the invention to provide a bottle gauging and removing apparatus in which the forward motion of the line of, bottles on the conveyor is not interfered with, unless the presence of an unwanted bottle is detected, whereupon the motion of the line is halted only for a sufflcient length of time to permit the removal of the unwanted bottle.

My invention will be understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings taken together with the following detailed description, it being understood that the embodiment of the invention shown in these drawings is illustrative of the apparatus of the invention and that the that particular apparatus:

In these'drawings:

Fig 1 is -a. plan view of-the bottle-detecting and removing. apparatus corresponding to the central portion of Fig. 2, with certain parts shown broken tolerance limits. The aim oi the present invention, therefore; is to provide an apparatus through which the bottles leaving the soaker can be passed and which will gauge the bottles both as to diameter and height, thereby detecting the unwanted bottles, and eject them from the line.

In existing beverage plants it is customary for the bottlesto be carried from the soaker to the filling-apparatus in upright position on a con-" veyo'r, such as a power driven endless belt, and an obiectoi the invention also is to provide a bot-, tle removing apparatus which can be installed to operate in eoniunctl0I 1 -with an existing con- .55

away so as to illustrate-other parts in section;

Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the app ratus as applied to an existing endlessbelt conveyor;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on broken line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. .4 is a horizontal section taken on theplane indicated by line 44 01 Fig. 3 and showing the parts in a dlfierent position from Fig. 1, a

bottle here being shown in the detecting position; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line i5 of Fig. l to illustrate the details. of

the over-height and under-height bottle-detecting mechanism; and 1 Fig. 6 is a diagram of electrical connections.

Referring now to these drawings, the bottles move forward from left to right in Fig... 1, 2 and 4 on an endless-conveyor belt! which carries the bottles usually, as previously mentioned, from the soaker to the filler, neither of which apparatus'is shown. Conveyor belt I may be of'any. suitable construction and as'shown in Fig. 2 is composed of metal plates closely spaced together and carried upon one or moreendless chains (not shown) which'pass around driving sprockets 2 at'the right hand end and idlersprockets 3 at theopb site end. Driving sprockets 2 are keyed-to cross shaft 4 upon one end of which is also'keyed a driving sprocket 5 to which motion is imparted by a drivin: chaimt which cooperates with a sprocket 'I on the output shaft of a reducing gear 8 which is in to the side members ill. The upper stretch of conveyor belt I whichcarriesthe bottles is sup- 26 will close an electric circuit which causes the forcible ejection of the bottle from the line an instant later when the bottle reaches ejecting ported in level condition by the in-turning horizontal flanges I5 along the top edges of side members I; as shown in section in Fig. 3.

Although, if desired, my improved bottle-removing apparatus may be constructed as a part of the conveyor, such as the conveyor just, described, one of the features of my invention is the arrangement of the bottle-removing apparatus-in such a way that it is entirely independent of the conveying apparatus which enables it to be installed without removing or disturbing an existing conveyor; otherwise than to remove a short section of the guide rails l2 and I3, these being replaced by guides on the bottle-removing apparatus as will presently appear. For this reason the bottle-removing apparatus is mounted upon two upright supports I6 at the. upper ends-of which are two. cross supportin bars I1. These two bars are tied together by a pair of longitudinal rods l8. I

At the opposite ends of cross supporting bars I! there are four upright supports l9 which at their upper ends carry a platform frame member 20. All of the mechanism of the bottle-removing apparatus is mounted either on the upper surface of this platform 2|] or is secured to the same be-' low.- To enable the apparatus to be adjusted to the height of an existing conveyor the supports l6 are made verticallyadjustable by means of clamps 21 in their base members, and'uprights H! are adjustably carried in the ends of the cross bar I! by means of clamps 22.

Briefly describing the operation of the bottle- .detecting and ejecting apparatus, a the bottles are carried forward by conveyor i from left to right, they are brought into engagement with a star wheel 23 (comprising upper and lower sec= tions as shown iniigs. 2 and 3). The teeth of the star wheel-project laterally over one side of the conveyor a suflicient distance to cause the stafwheel to be rotated by the bottles, and as each bottle reaches the detecting position '24 shown-in Fig. 4, it is engaged on one side by a pocket between two teeth of the star wheel and on the opposite side by thetip of a detecting or gauging finger 25. In this manner, each bottle is gauged or calipered. While the bottle is in this detecting position 24, it also is brought into operative position with height-gauging or detecting I mechanism (see particularly Fig.

So long as the bottles reaching detecting position 24 come within the permissible tolerances of tion 24 which, either becauseit is too large, too

tall or too short, is unwanted; the movement 'of one or bothof gauging or detecting fingers 25 or considerable.

.position 28 (Fig. 1) where the star wheel 23 has been rotated slightly beyond the position shown in Fig. 4. The ejection of the bottle is caused by the energization of a solenoid 29 which causes the actuation of an ejecting arm 30, the curved head 3| of which moves crosswise of the conveyor and pushes the bottle therefromso that it falls, being guided by an apron 32 into a receptacle 33.

The bottles are fed forward into the star wheel by their frictional engagement with the conveyor belt I and usually the bottles are in close formation, one in contact with another, so that the line pressure on a bottle :whose motion might be arrested for the purpose of removing it would be In order to remove this line pressure from the bottle to be ejected, the rotation of the star wheel 23 is stopped with the bottle to be :ejected abreast of the star wheel in ejecting position 28. This causes the movement of the line of bottles ahead of the star wheel to be arrested by the star wheel tooth to the left of ejecting position 28. Also the thickness of this tooth separates the bottle to be ejected slightly from those bottles. The bottles which have already passed the star wheel are separated from this bottle being carried forward by the continuous movement of the conveyor I. Hence the bottle to be ejected is completely separated from all of the bottles of the line, both those ahead of it and those behind it.

rotation of the star wheel and arrest the move- I ment of the oncoming'bottles. Cam 3! cooperates with a roller 38 on the end of an actuating arm 39 of a circuit closing switch 40 whose function will also be described later. v

The ejecting arm 30 is keyed to the lower end of another Vertical shaft 4| journaled for rockin movement in an elongated boss 42 on the lower side of frame member 20. This shaft also ex-- tends above the upper side of frame 20 where an actuating arm 43 is keyed to it. This actuat ingarm is connected to plunger 44 of the operating solenoid 29 by means of an adjustable link '45.

. An adjustable stop 46 engages the arm on the opposite side from the solenoid (see Fig. 1) and a helical spring 41 which restores the parts to normal position after an ejecting operation normally holds the actuating arm 43 against this stop and consequently holds the ejecting arm 30 inwithdrawn position as shown in Figs. 4 and 1.

The curved operating head 3| of the ejecting arm 30 is located between the upper and lower .Zsectioris 23 of the star wheel as shown more particularly in Figs. -2 and 3 and consequently the head of this aim is slotted as shown in Fig. 1 so as to surround the star wheel shaft 34, Y At the left hand end of actuating arm 43 there isan adjustable screw 48 which engages the tail 49 of a dog 50 pivoted at 5| on frame member 20, the head of this dog engaging toothedrwheel 36 to stop the rotation of the star-wheel. Also pro- .jecting from actuating is 9. lug 52 into. which 'is threaded an adjustable screw '53 which bottles.

The bottles are guided in their passage through the machine and directed into engage ment with the star wheel 23 by suitable guides adjacent either side of the conveyor belt I. Thus a continuous guide plate 55 extends along the star wheel side of the belt and midway vertically between the two sections of the star wheel. It is supported at the lower ends of posts 56 which project downwardly from the bottom of frame member 28 and is adjustable laterally with respect to these posts by means of the threaded rod and nut'construction 51 shown in Fig. 1.

On the opposite side of the conveyor two guides 58 and 59 are provided, these being spaced apart from one another opposite the star wheelto provide a discharge opening 68 for the rejected bottles. These guides are adjustably supported in the same manner as guide 55 on additional posts 56. The right hand end of guide '58 is curved outwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to suitably direct a rejected bottle as it is swept off from the conveyor and through the opening 68 by the 58 is also apertured to ejecting arm 28. Guide permit the free movement of detecting-finger 25. In order to suitably direct the cans successively into the respective pocketsbetween the teeth of the star wheel, guide 55 is bowed laterally as shown in Fig. 1 opposite the star wheel, thereby allowing the bottles to be seated in the star wheel pockets and follow an arcuate path from substantially the detecting position 24 (Fig. 4) until after the bottles have left position 28 (Fig. 1)

from which position they are ejected either too large or too small.

'In order to guide into their line of advance following along the conveyor belt I, and also to permit unwanted bottles to be ejected through the opening spring biased fingers 6|, and the other opposite the upper section of star wheel 23 is provided (Figs. 1 and 2). These fingers are fixed to a vertical rock shaft 62 which turns in an elongated boss 63 projecting beneath platform 28 and this shaft is biasedby means of a helical spring 64 so as to normally hold fingers 6| in the position shown in Fig. 1. The fingers are stopped in this position by an adjustable stop screw 65 which wardly turned portion of guide 58. I

Detector finger is pinned near the lower end of a vertical shaft 66 mounted for rocking movement in another elongated boss 61 depending from platform 28. At the upper end of this shaft on top of platform 28 an arm 68 is pinned and near the outer end of this arm a helical spring the unrejected bottles back- 68, a pair of one opposite the lower engages the back of the out-' of the three detector switches, namely, over-size detector switch 12, over-height detector switch 8| or under-heightdetector switch 82, the last two switches being yet to be described. As shown in Fig. 7, these three detector switches are all connected in parallel so that the closure of any one of themwill complete a circuit from one of conductors 13; through a conductor 83 which leads to operating coil 88, the opposite end of this coil being connected through a conductor 84 to the other source conductor 13. In order to permit the detector switches 12, 8| and 82 to be opencd immediately after detecting the presence of an unwanted bottle, relay 16 is provided with a holding circuit so as to supply current to coil 88 after the detector switch has opened. This circuit may be traced from one of the source conductors 13 through conductor 85, holding contacts 86 on the relay, conductor-81, the contacts of circuit-breaking switch 54 and thence through conductors 88 and 83 to operating. coil 88 and conductor 84 back to the opposite source conductor 13.

In operation, as previously mentioned, the bot-, tlescontinue to advance through the detecting apparatus passing the star wheel continuously and maintaining the star wheel in rotation so long as no unwanted bottle reaches the star wheel. If, however, a bottle which is either too large in diameter, too tall or too short, arrives at de-' tecting position 24, at least one of the three detecting switches 12, 8| or 82 will be closed during the fraction of a second in which the bottle is passing the detecting position. This causes the energization of operating coil 88 of relay 16 and the plunger of the relay to be lifted and contacts 15 and 86 to be closed. .The closing-of contacts 86 completes the holding circuit above described inasmuch as circuit breaking switch 54 is a normally closed switch and is not actuated until the end of a bottle ejecting movement of ejector arm 38. The closing of main contacts 15 of the relay,

however, doe not-close the circuit through the operating coil of solenoid 29 but merely prepares this circuit to be closed by the cam switch- 48 when the unwanted bottle advances to the electing position 28.

As soon as solenoid 28 is energized the operation of its plunger swings the actuating arm 43,

69 isattached which is adjustably mounted in such a way as to rock shaft 66 in a direction to urge detector finger 25 against the surface of the Also at the outer end'of arm 66 there are provided two adjustable stop screws 18 for limiting this rocking movement in both directions. Further, there is threaded through arm 68 an. adjustable screw 1| which is arranged to actuate the operating button of a normally open oversize detector switch 12.

Referring now to the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 7, current from any suitable source is supplied through conductors 13, the main operating circuit of solenoid 28 being traced through conductor 14 to main contacts 15 of a relay 16, thence through conductor 11-to the contacts of cam switch 48, then through conductor 18 to the coil of solenoid 28, from which it returns to conductors 13 by conductor 19. The operating coil 88 of relay 18 is energized by the closing of any one the first movement of which is to release dog 58 and permit it to engage toothed wheel 36 and stop the rotation of star wheel 23, thereby holding back the line of bottles on the conveyor and relieving the bottle at position 28 from the line pressure. The continued movement of actuating arm 43 rocks shaft 4| and causes ejecting arm 38 to sweep across conveyor and push the unwanted'bottle through the opening 68, the bottle dropping into receptacle 33 as soon as it leaves the edge of the conveyor. At the end of the operating stroke of actuating arm 43 the end of screw 53 engages the operating button of the normally closed circuit breaking switch 54, thereby opening the contacts of this switch and breaking the holding circuit of relay 16. This opens the main contacts 15 of the relay and breaks the circuit through the operating coil of solenoid 25 so that spring 41 promptly swings actuating arm 43 and ejecting arm 38 back to their original positions.

The completion ofthis cycle occupies only a small fraction of a second and the restoration of actuat ing arm 43 to its original position retracts dog 58 from toothed wheel 36 and permits star wheel 23 to resume rotation and the bottle line to resume its advance.

The bottle contacting end of finger 26 is formed tle" and Low bottle." Should a bottle reach detecting position 24 which is as high or higher than the High bottle line, finger 26 will be lifted sufficiently to close over-height switch 8|, thereby causing the ejection of the bottle an instant later when it reaches the ejecting position.

Referring now to Fig.. the mechanism for detecting over-h'eightand under-height bottles comprises finger 26 which is pivoted at 89 underneath platform 26. This finger is provided with a generally horizontal portion which extends in the direction of movement of the bottles and it also has a vertical portion 98 extending upwardly from the pivot and provided with adjustable screws 9| and 92 which actuate respectively the operating buttons of over-height switch'8l and under-height switch 82.

The bottles move in the direction of the. arrow and raise or lower finger 26 in accordance with their height. On Fig. 5 the dot-and-dash lines-,with legends reading, respectively Low bottle and High bottle indicate the height range .which the machine will allow to pass. The dotted line indicates the path of .movement of the top of a bottle 93 which is passing the ejection point or position 28. This bottle will pass ejection point 28 without being ejected because it has maintained finger 26 at an elevation which has prevented the closing of either over-height switch 8| or under-height switch 82. The next succeeding bottle 94, however, has permitted finger 26 to descend far enough to cause the closing of under-height switch 82. Hence an instant bottle is approaching the detecting position and the bottle approaching, the ejection point is not 'a "low bottle, finger 26 will be released by the bottle top late enough toprevent the closing of the relay'main contacts'li until after the cam switch '40 has been opened by the star wheel ca-m3l..

So long as the bottles reaching ejection position 28 are normal height bottles, their. motion from the diameter detection point 24 to and :be-

yond the ejection point 28 along the conveyor is rapid and although the end of finger 26 is actu-' ally released from the top of ,the bottle just before but substantially as the bottle'reaches the ejection point 28, the time required for the operation or pick-up of relay 16 is suflicient to prevent the closing of its contacts 7'5 until after cam switch has been opened by the passage of one of the points of the star wheel cam 3'! beyond actuating roller 38 (see Fig. 1). If desired, however, relay [6 may :be-provided witha friction control, dash pot or other means, for increasing or adjusting the time which elapses-betwe'en the instant or energization of its operating coil 80 and the clasing of its contact 15. As stated above, however,

- ejection apparatus on conveyor I be interrupted, the first bottle to come along after an interruption 24 to push the bottle past the detecting posilater when bottle 94 reaches ejectio point 28 it will be kicked out of the line by the ejecting arm 30 as previously described. Bottles as high as,

or higher than, the High bottle line will raise finger 26 high enough to cause over-height switch 8| to be closed, thereby causing the ejection ofall such bottles as they reach the ejection point 28..

1"inger'26 is urged downwardly against the bottle caps by means of a helical spring 95 which is adjustably mounted between the upper surface of finger 26 and platform 20. The purpose of this spring is to prevent fluttering of finger 26 which might be occasioned by the rapid forward movement of the bottles in striking the finger.

The dropping of finger 26 between two succes sive bottles would cause the closing of underclosing tion will not be ejected, even though it is normal in height,- because the apparatus never clears tion. This amount of line pressure is required in order to overcome the frictional resistance of the star wheel and the friction of the diameter aetecting finger 25; The amount of this resistance I can be regulated byadjust'ing' the tension of spring 69, the position of adjustable stop 10 being set to cause finger 25 to contact bottles of-smallest diameter. 1

The apparatus of-.the present invention operates'with a minimum of attention and maintenance expense and effectively eliminates the possibility'of bottles which are either too large in processing apparatus where the presence of oversize bottles might interfere with its proper oper-; ation.

height switch 82, and even instantaneous closing 7 of this switch would cause the ejection of the next bottle to reach ejection point 28 regardless of size or height. To avoid this dropping of finger 26 it is provided at its right hand end with a horizontal portion 91 which is long enough to bridge It will be understood that changes may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims and is intended to include such modifications as properly fall within the meaning of these claims,

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, I

means for carrying forward a line of-bottles, a rotatable star wheel coacting with the line of bottles and having teeth adapted to space eachbottle successively from the preceding bottles of the line, a bottle-gauging device, means controlled thereby for stopping the star wheel inthe event I wheel arranged to-be rotated by the bottles-said bottles and having teeth acting to space the bottle which is abreast of the star wheel from the preceding bottles of the line, a bottle gaugin device, means controlled thereby for stoppin the star wheel in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device, the star wheel teeth arresting the movement or the oncoming bottles so as to relieve the unwanted bottle from the pressure of the line and an ejecting device to remove said bottle from the'line.

star wheel having pockets to receive individual 3 bottles and to cause them to move, arcuately rotatable star wheel coacting with the line of 3. In. an apparatus of the class described,

means for advancing bottles in a continuous line in close formation, a rotatable star'wheel coacting with the bottles to slightly deflect them laterally from the line and havin teeth to space each bottle from the preceding bottles of the line as it passes the star wheel, a bottle gauging device, means controlled-thereby for stopping the star wheel in the event an unwantedbottle is detected by the gauging device, the star wheel teeth arresting the movement of the' oncoming bottles so as to relieve the unwanted bottle from bottle line pressure and an ejecting device to remove said bottle from the line. I

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a continuously moving conveyor, a star wheel arranged to rotate on an axis disposed atone side of said conveyor, guidesfor directing the line of bottles to said star wheel, the star wheel 'coacting with the hottles to slightly deflect them laterally from the line to assist in spacing each bottle from the preceding bottles of the line as it passe the star wheel, guides beyond the star wheel for continuing the line of bottles, a deflector for redirecting into said line bottles deflected by 'the star wheel, a bottle-gauging device, means controlled thereby for stopping the starwheel'in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device, and an ejecting device to remove said bottle from the line.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor for advancing a continuous line of bottles, a star wheel arranged at one side of the conveyor and adapted to be rotated by the bottles,

' and control device being arranged conjointlyto' guides cooperating with the conveyor for'directing the bottles past the star wheel, one of said guides having an opening therein abreast of the star wheel, yielding gate means in said opening, a bottle gauging device, means controlled Jthereby for stopping the star wheel in the event'an unwanted bottle is detected .by the gaugingdevice,

and an ejecting device movable across the conveyor for forcing said bottle past the yielding gate means and through said opening.

6. In an apparatus. of the class described, means for advancing a line of bottles, a star wheel rotated by the bottles, ejecting mechanism for stopping the star wheel and removing an unwanted bottle from the line, a bottle-gauging device, means controlled thereby for setting'said mechanism to remove a bottle in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device, said star wheel in one angular position coacting with said gauging device to efiect the gauging of the bottle and in a succeeding angular positioncausing the Operation of said ejecting mechanism. I '7. In an apparatus of the class described, means for advancing a line of bottles, a. star III therewith, a bottle gauging device for gauging each-bottle while it is within ,a pocket of the star wheel, ejecting mechanism operating to stop the star wheel in' the eventan unwanted bottle is. detected by thegauging device and remove the bottle from the line, and means controlled in part by the gauging device and in' part 'by the star wheel for causing the operation of said ejecting mechanism. v

8. In an :apparatus of the class described, means for advancing a line of bottles, a star wheel rotated by the bottles, an ejecting-' device for removing an unwanted bottle from the line, a locking device for interrupting the rotationof the star wheel, said locking device being actuatedbysaid ejecting device, operating mechanism for the ejecting device, and a bottle-gauging device for controlling said operating mechanism.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, means for advancing'a line of bottles, a star wheel rotated by the bottles, an ejecting device.

for removing an unwanted bottle from ,the line, a locking device for interrupting therotation of the star wheel actuated by said ejecting device, operating mechanism for theejecting device, a bottle-gauging device, and means for controlling said operating mechanism conjointly by the bottle-gauging device and the star'wheel. v

10. In an apparatus of the class described,

means for advancing a line of bottles, a'stari wheel arranged to be rotated by the bottles, a

rock shaft, an ejecting-arm fixed to said shaftand positioned to move across the line of bottles to push a bottle which is opposite the star wheel out of the line, an actuating arm fixed to the rock shaft, operating mechanism connected-to said actuating arm, atoothed wheel and a cam arranged to rotate with the star wheel, a'dog biased to coact with the toothed wheel to stop the rotation of the star wheel, said dog being normally held out of engagement therewith by said actuating arm, a control device for said operating'mechanism actuated by said cam, and. a bottle-gauging device, said bottle-gauging device control said operating mechanism. 0

11. In an apparatus of the class described, a

bottle conveyor having-bottles resting thereon.

in upright position and in close formation, a rotatable star wheel-coacting with the line of hottles and having teeth adapted to space each bottle'as it passes the star wheel from thepreceding loottles .of the line over-height'and underheight detecting mechanism arranged to coact with the tops of the bottles a they move forward on said conveyor, means actuated by said.detect-. ing mechanism for stopping the rotation of the star wheel in the event an unwanted bottle detected by said'mechanism'the teeth of said star wheel acting to 'arrest the forward movement on the conveyor .both of said unwanted bottle and the. preceding bottles of the line and maintaining the unwanted bottle in spaced relation to said preceding bottles, ejecting mechanism,

arranged to act upon the unwanted bottle while so positioned by the star wheel 'to remove the same from the line, and means for causing the operation of said ejecting mechanism by said' detecting mechanism.

12. In an apparatus of" the classdescribedfa 1 conveyor for advancing-acontinuous line of bottles, a rotary star wheel coasting with the line of bottles, guides cooperating with the conveyor for directing the bottles past the star wheel, one of said guides having an opening therein abreast of the star wheel, yielding gate means in said opening, a bottle gauging device, means controlled thereby for stoppin the star wheel in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device, and an ejecting device movable to force said bottle past the yielding gate means and through said opening.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a continuously moving conveyor, a star wheel arranged to rotate on an axis disposed at one side of said conveyor, guides for directing the line of bottles to said star wheel, the star wheel coacting with the bottles to slightly deflect them laterally from the line to assist in spacing each bottle from the bottles of the line as it passes the star wheel,

and an ejecting device to force said bottle past the yielding gate means and through said opening.

15. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor for advancing a line of bottles in upright position and in close formation, a rotatable star wheel coacting with-the line of bottles, ejecting mechanism for stopping the star'wheel and guides beyond the star wheel for continuing the 7 line of bottles, a deflector for redirecting into said line bottles deflected by the star wheel, a

' bottle gauging device, means controlled thereby' for stopping the star wheelin the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device,

and an ejecting device to remove said bottle-tromline.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, a continuously movable conveyor, a star wheel arranged to rotate on an axis disposed at one side of said conveyor, guides for directing the line of bottles to said star wheel, the star wheel coacting with the bottles to slightly deflect them. laterally from the line to assist in spacing each bottle from the preceding bottles of the line as it passes the star wheel, guides beyond the starwheel for continuing the line of bottles, one of said guides having an opening therein abreast of the star wheel, yielding gate means in said opening, a bottle gauging device, means controlled thereby for stopping the star wheel in the event an un-,'

removing-an unwanted bottle from the line, a bottle-gauging device, means controlled thereby "for setting said mechanism to remove a bottle in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging device, said star wheel in one angular position coacting with said gauging device to effect the gauging of the bottle'and in a succeeding angular position causing the operation of said ejecting mechanism.

16. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor for advancing a line of bottles in upright position and in clOSe formation, a rotatable star wheel coacting with the-line of bottles, said star wheel havin pockets to receive individual bottles, a bottle-gauging device for gauging each bottle while it is within a pocket of the star wheel, ejecting means operating to stop the star wheel in the event an unwanted bottle is detected by the gauging deviceand removing the bottle from the line, and means controlled in part by the gauging device and in part by the star wheel for causing the operation of said ejecting means.

17. In an apparatus of the class described,

-means for advancing a line of bottles, a star conjointly by the bottle-gauging device and the star wheel.

. EDGAR ARDELL. 

